Dahlia plant named ‘HS Wink’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dahlia  plant named ‘HS Wink’, characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark-colored foliage; freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescence form; large inflorescences with light purple and red purple bi-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Dahlia hybrida.

Cultivar Denomination: ‘HS Wink’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahliaplant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘HS Wink’.

The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Lisse, The Netherlands. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new container/landscape-type Dahlia cultivars thathave a freely branching growth habit, dark-colored foliage, freelyflowering habit, daisy inflorescence form, attractive ray floretcoloration, inflorescences that are not persistent, and good gardenperformance.

The new Dahlia originated from an open-pollination in Lisse, TheNetherlands during the summer of 2001, of the Dahlia hybrida cultivar HSJuliet, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,907, as the female, or seed,parent with an unknown selection of Dahlia hybrida, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedopen-pollination in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlandsduring the summer of 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by cuttings since the spring of2003 in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands, has shownthat the unique features of this new Dahlia are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar HS Wink has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘HS Wink’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘HS Wink’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofDahlia:

-   -   1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Dark-colored foliage.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Daisy-type inflorescence form.    -   6. Large inflorescences with light purple and red purple        bi-colored ray florets.    -   7. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar HS Juliet, plantsof the new Dahlia differ primarily in ray floret coloration and plantsize.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the Dahliacultivar Sunshine, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conductedin Lisse, The Netherlands, plans of the new Dahlia differed from plantsof the cultivar Sunshine in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia were larger and more vigorous than        plants of the cultivar Sunshine.    -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia were more freely branching than        plants of the cultivar Sunshine.    -   3. Plants of the new Dahlia had longer lateral branches than        plants of the cultivar Sunshine.    -   4. Plants of the new Dahlia were more freely flowering than        plants of the cultivar Sunshine.    -   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Dahlia had more disc        florets than plants of the cultivar Sunshine.    -   6. Plants of the new Dahlia and the cultivar Sunshine differed        in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Sunshine had        yellow orange-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Dahlia. The photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Dahlia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘HS Wink’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The followingobservations and measurements describe plants grown in Lisse, TheNetherlands during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditionsand practices which approximate those generally used in commercialDahlia production. During the production of the plants, day temperaturesranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C.to 20° C. Plants were pinched one time about three to four weeks afterplanting. Measurements and numerical values represent averages fortypical flowering plants. Plants were about four months old when thephotograph and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia hybrida cultivar HS Wink.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Dahlia hybrida cultivar HS Juliet,            disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,907.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Dahlia            hybrida, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About three days at            temperatures of about 17° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About four days at            temperatures of about 17° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 11 days            at temperatures of about 17° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 14 days            at temperatures of about 17° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to fleshy; tuber development has not            been observed.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright to somewhat outwardly            spreading; rounded plant form. Freely basal branching with            about seven lateral branches and inflorescence held above            the foliage on strong peduncles; bushy and dense. Vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 70 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 45 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 60 cm. Diameter: Towards the            base, about 2.5 cm; towards the apex, about 3 mm. Internode            length: About 5 cm to 25 cm. Aspect: Erect to somewhat            outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: 187A or darker than 187A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves opposite; leaves may be single or            compound with three or five leaflets.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Slightly serrate; sinuses divergent.        -   Length.—Single leaves: about 8 cm. Compound leaves with            three leaflets: About 14 cm. Compound leaves with five            leaflets: About 18 cm.        -   Width.—Single leaves: About 3.5 cm. Compound leaves with            three leaflets: About 9 cm. Compound leaves with five            leaflets: About 13 cm.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Colors.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper            surface: Darker than 200A; venation, 183A. Developing and            fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147A tinted with            187B; venation, 183B.        -   Petiole length.—Single leaves: About 1 cm. Compound leaves            with three leaflets: About 5 cm. Compound leaves with five            leaflets: About 3 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—Single leaves: About 2 mm. Compound leaves            with three leaflets: About 2 mm. Compound leaves with five            leaflets: About 2 mm.        -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Petiole color, upper surface.—187A.        -   Petiole color, lower surface.—183A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Rotate single inflorescence form with ray and            disc florets. Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on            strong peduncles. Inflorescences face upright to slightly            outwardly. Freely flowering habit; about 70 inflorescences            develop per plant. Inflorescences not persistent.            Inflorescences not fragrant.        -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously during the summer            and autumn in The Netherlands.        -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good            substance for about two weeks on the plant and for about            five days as a cut flower.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About            1.6 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 138A tinted with 59A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.5 cm. Depth (height):            About 2.2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.6 cm. Receptacle            height: About 1.2 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.8 cm.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape:            Ovate, broad. Apex: Mucronulate. Base: Attenuate. Aspect:            Initially upright to roughly perpendicular to the peduncle;            flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            velvety. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About            eight arranged in a single whorl. Color: When opening and            fully opened, upper surface: Center and towards the apex,            72A; towards the base, 53A. When opening and fully opened,            lower surface: 74C.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate. Length: About            1.2 cm. Diameter, apex: About 1.5 mm. Diameter, base: About            1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 150.            Color: Immature: 200A. Mature: Apex: 200A. Mid-section:            180A. Base: 1D.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About five arranged            in a single whorl. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 7 mm.            Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.            Color, upper surface: 148A tinted with 187B. Color, lower            surface: 200A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: Terminal peduncle: About 45 cm. Fourth            peduncle: About 22 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 10 cm.            Diameter: Towards the base, about 2.5 cm; towards the apex,            about 1.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to about 10°            from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Between            187A and 200A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:            Five. Anther shape: Linear. Anther length: About 4 mm.            Anther color: 17B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:            23A. Gynoecium: Quantity per ray or disc floret. One. Pistil            length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma color:            21A. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: 1C. Ovary color:            180B. Seeds: Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm.            Color: 199A.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Dahlia have not been    shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Dahlia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dahlia have exhibited good    tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate    temperatures from about 0° C. to about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct Dahlia plant named ‘HS Wink’ as illustrated anddescribed.